


i'll see you again, sparks

by curiouswraith



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/F, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 07:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30068451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiouswraith/pseuds/curiouswraith
Summary: She remembered when they first met.The Games were still a new thing but its popularity was on the rise. During its first summer, a new Legend joined the games: Wattson. To say that she was the last person anyone expected to join the Games would be an understatement. An electrical engineer that seemed like she never picked up a single gun in her entire life? In a bloodsport? Someone must’ve been playing some cruel joke on her.Little did she know that she wouldn’t just have a big impact on the Games as they knew it, but on her, too.(WARNING: Major characters deaths and descriptions of injuries. Reader discretion is advised.)
Relationships: Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. the story

**Author's Note:**

> so my mental health hasn't been doing well, which resulted in writer's block for remember me and the case of Loba Andrade. i promise, they're not going on hiatus, i just need to get over my writer's block. for now, my way of coping is writing sad one shots.
> 
> i worked on this one for the past three days. the first two days, i wrote 1,500 a day. then i stayed up until eight this morning and wrote 4,500 words. so that's how i'm doing. :,) i'm really anxious to see how this one does because it isn't what i usually do. i hope that it does at least somewhat well.
> 
> anyway, enjoy!
> 
> (WARNING: Major character deaths and description of injuries. Reader discretion is advised.)

She remembered when they first met.

The Games were still a new thing but its popularity was on the rise. During its first summer, a new Legend joined the games: Wattson. To say that she was the last person anyone expected to join the Games would be an understatement. An electrical engineer that seemed like she never picked up a single gun in her entire life? In a bloodsport? Someone must’ve been playing some cruel joke on her. 

Little did she know that she wouldn’t just have a big impact on the Games as they knew it, but on her, too.

—

“ _ **Bonjour**!_”

She jumped in her seat and eyed the person that had _literally_ jumped in front of her up and down. Raising an eyebrow, she weakly waved. “ _Hey…_ ”

“ _I’m Wattson! And you are…?_ ” Wattson asked, tilting her head to the side like a curious puppy.

“ _Wraith._ ” 

“ _Ah, you’re this mysterious **Wraith** everyone has been talking about._” Wattson said. Wraith glanced around the room and at the other Legends. Why were they talking about _her_ now? More importantly, _what_ were they talking about? She jumped again as a gloved hand was nearly shoved in her face. “ _It’s nice to meet you, Wraith!_ ”

Wraith took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. “ _It’s nice to meet you, too._ ”

Letting go of hers, Wattson clasped her hands together and let them fall in front of her. Wraith watched as she eyed the chair next to her. “ _Mind if I sit with you?_ ”

“ _I don’t care._ ” Wraith said. Truthfully, she didn’t care. She could care less if anyone sat by her, really. But why did this… bright ball of energy… want to sit by _her_ of all people?

Wattson clapped her hands and quickly sat down next to her like her life depended on it. Assuming that the conversation was over, Wraith went back to the book she had been reading before Wattson came over. She was right… to an extent. They didn’t say anything for a long time, sitting in the sound of their fellow Legends talking and laughing and enjoying themselves. Music played in the background, too. Nothing too loud or intense, just something to fill the air. 

“ _What book are you reading?_ ” Wraith looked back up from her book and over at Wattson. Her head was tilted back and eyes glued on the book. Wraith looked back down at the book, tucked her thumb between the pages she was on, closed it, and showed Wattson the cover. “ _ **A Time Traveller’s Guide to Life**._” Wraith nodded. “ _What is it about?_ ”

Wraith toyed with the book as she thought of a good summary. “ _Well… there’s this man. He’s from the year 3972. He works for this research facility and finds a way to time travel. Since there’s no one else willing to, he tests his invention out for himself. I haven’t finished it yet, but he goes back to the year 2413 and meets this woman and falls in love with her._ ” 

“ _Wouldn’t that cause a rip in the fabric of time and mess up the future?_ ” Wattson asked.

“ _That’s what he’s afraid about. So now he has to choose to stay in the past and risk no longer existing during his time or return to his time._ ” Wraith said.

Wattson slowly nodded. She sat there, staring blankly at the book. Then she looked at Wraith. “ _If you were him, what would you do?_ ”

Wraith shrugged. “ _Depends on who I’d be doing it for._ ”

“ _Well, he’s trying to figure it out for the woman he loves. So… someone you love?_ ” Wattson asked.

Wraith glanced down at the book and furrowed her eyebrows. Wattson raised a very good question. What would she do? “ _I’d probably stay. I may no longer exist in my timeline, but at least I’d be able to live with the one I love and cherish our time together while it lasts._ ” She looked back at Wattson. “ _What about you?_ ”

“ _Oh, I’d probably do the same thing._ ” Wattson said, “ _Time with your loved ones is worth more than anything._ ” Wraith nodded.

“ _Hey, Wattson, come check this out!_ ” Mirage yelled.

“ _Coming!_ ” Wattson called back. She turned back to Wraith and smiled. “ _Thank you for letting me sit with you for a bit and telling me about your book. It was nice getting to meet and talk to you._ ”

“ _Anytime._ ” Wraith said.

“ _Hopefully we can talk again soon. For now, **au revoir** , Wraith._” Wattson said as she got up. She waved to Wraith before leaving to join Mirage and a few of the other Legends at the bar. Wraith gave another weak wave—not like Wattson saw it. 

For the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to their next conversation.

—

After their first meeting with each other, Wattson was quick to hang out with Wraith whenever she could. Wraith never understood the fascination the girl had in her, but she wasn’t complaining either. Wattson was the first person that she met that _actually_ treated her like a normal human being.

Even after she learned about Wraith’s past.

—

“ _Wraith, may I ask you a question?_ ”

“ _Sure._ ”

“ _How did you get your ability to jump dimensions and your voices?_ ” 

“ _That’s a hefty question, Wattson._ ”

“ _You can always tell me._ ” 

Wraith looked at Wattson, heart heavy and eyes full of worry. This conversation was inevitable, but Wraith was still scared as ever to have it—and she wasn’t scared of much. Thousands of questions raced through her head. What would Wattson think of her afterwards? Would she think she was a freak? A monster? Would Wattson hate her and no longer want to be around her? It wouldn’t have been the first time someone left her because of her past, but she didn’t want to lose Wattson, as much as she hated to admit. Wraith wasn’t the type to get attached to people. 

Putting her foot on the floor and scooting herself further back onto her seat, Wraith took a deep breath. “ _Well… I don’t know **everything** , but I know that it was the IMC’s doing. I used to work for the ARES Division at Singh Labs with my colleague, Doctor Amer Singh. Him and I were experimenting on phase-jumping technology. We couldn’t find any volunteers for our work, so I volunteered myself. Next thing I know, I’m in an asylum for the mentally ill._

“ _I woke up hearing voices in my head and was convinced that I was going crazy. I wasn’t, but I believed them. I lived like that for a while, until there was a break in._ ”

“ _Do you know who broke in?_ ” Wattson asked.

“ _I do, actually,_ ” Wraith said, “ _it was an alternate version of myself._ ”

Wattson’s eyes widened. “ _Two Wraith’s in the same dimension?_ ”

“ _Crazy, right?_ ” Wraith said with a soft smile.

Wattson eagerly nodded. “ _What was she doing there?_ ”

“ _That Wraith was… well, she was from this dimension._ ” 

“ _That doesn’t make sense. I thought that **you** were from this one._”

“ _I’m not. I’m from a different one. When the Wraith from this dimension came to mine, she saved me from the asylum and taught me about the voices. She was the one that helped me learn that I wasn’t crazy and that Singh was lying to me. But before I could figure anything else out, she told me to run. So I did, and now I’m here._ ”

“ _Wow…_ ” Wattson whispered. She kicked her feet back and forth as her eyes looked everywhere but Wraith. Wraith wasn’t able to clearly read her face, but she knew that Wattson was deep in thought.

Anxiety seeped deeper into Wraith’s bones. What was she thinking about?

“ _I—_ ”

“ _Were you scared?_ ” 

Wraith blinked. “ _Scared of…?_ ”

“ _Coming here. You must’ve felt scared and alone when you arrived. Not knowing anyone or anything._ ” Wattson said. 

She wasn’t expecting _that_.

“ _I was._ ” Wraith said truthfully.

“ _Are you still scared?_ ” Wattson asked.

“ _Not about that, but I am scared of other things._ ” Wraith said. 

“ _Do you miss your dimension?_ ” Wattson asked. 

“ _I don’t remember much about it, but from what I **do** remember, no._” Wraith said.

Wattson went back to thinking. 

It wasn’t every day that Wraith just told her whole life story—well, as much as she remembered about it—to _anyone_. Wattson was now an exception. She had this aura to her that made Wraith feel like she could tell her anything. And she could. Wattson may not understand everything, but she always tried her best to. And she supported her unconditionally. What Wraith did to deserve a friend like Wattson was beyond her.

“ _You may not be this dimension’s Wraith, but you’re **my** Wraith. No other Wraith can compare to you._” Wattson said with a wide smile on her face. 

Wraith rolled her eyes and smiled. “ _Thanks, sparks._ ”

“ _ **De rein**._”

—

Wattson readily learned about Wraith’s secrets and kept them with care and delicacy. She made Wraith feel welcomed and loved when she didn’t feel like she deserved anything.

In turn, Wraith helped Wattson with her demons, too. 

—

“ _Wraith?_ ”

Wraith jolted up from her light slumber, every bone in her body aching and her eyes telling her to to close them again. She frantically looked around the waiting room as if she had just seen a ghost before her eyes landed on the nurse.

The nurse gave her a timid smile. “ _Natalie is awake if you’d like to come see her._ ”

Wraith frantically nodded. She stood from her seat—her knees nearly giving out underneath her. Following the nurse down what felt like miles of hallways, they finally reached Wattson’s room: room 137. The nurse softly knocked against the door.

“ _Come in._ ” Wattson quietly called from inside her room.

Once the nurse opened the door and announced that Wattson had a visitor, Wraith nearly pushed the poor nurse out of her way. Instead, she settled for slipping past the woman and basically ran to Wattson’s side.

Wraith took one of Wattson’s hand and held it between both of hers. She smiled. “ _Hey._ ”

“ _Hi._ ” Wattson said. She tried her best to smile, but in her tired and pained state, she was only able to muster up a subtle half smile.

“ _I’ll leave the two of you alone._ ”

_Click!_

“ _You were asleep for quite some time._ ” Wraith said, “ _How’re you feeling?_ ”

“ _Sleepy…_ ” Wattson mumbled, “ _and sore._ ”

Wraith quietly laughed, “ _I’d imagine. You took quite the hit._ ” 

Wattson nodded. She shifted under her blankets so that she had a better angle of her visitor. “ _You look tired. Have you been sleeping?_ ”

“ _No._ ”

“ _Wraith…_ ” 

“ _I promise, I’m okay. I’ve just been worried about you, sparks._ ”

“ _Now you don’t have to. So you can go to sleep now, no?_ ”

“ _But you just woke up._ ”

“ _I’ll be here when you wake up._ ”

“ _...in a bit, okay? I just want to spend some time with you._ ”

“ _Promise?_ ”

“ _Promise._ ”

Wraith busied herself with tracing Wattson’s hand. For someone that killed people for a living, her touch was feather light and soft to the touch. She didn’t go without some type of gloves often with how rough and dirty her hands were, but today was an exception. Hopefully she wasn’t hurting Wattson.

“ _I’m sorry…_ ” 

Wraith looked up from Wattson’s hand, her heart immediately dropping. Her head was turned away from her but she was still able to see the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She removed one of her hands from Wattson’s and used it to cup the side of her face. Wattson followed her hand, leaning into it and turning her head to Wraith. Her eyes didn’t meet hers, though.

“ _Hey, it’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong._ ” Wraith soothed.

“ _But I didn’t mean to worry you…_ ” Wattson said, her voice weak and trembling. 

Wraith’s heart shattered. She was blaming herself when she was the one in the hospital bed. 

“ _Natalie, you didn’t do anything wrong. I promise. You got seriously hurt out there, so of course I’m going to worry about you._ ” Wraith said.

“ _But you shouldn’t—_ ”

“ _—have to. I know. But I still did. And I still do. There’s nothing in this universe that will stop me from worrying about you. I don’t worry about you because I need to, I know you’re more than strong and capable enough to take care of yourself. I worry about you because I want to and because I care about you. If I lost you, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself._ ” Wraith said. Her throat burned and her ribs felt like they were crushing her lungs. But she kept her composure and wiped Wattson’s tears away. “ _You worry about me so much—and you’re younger than me. Now you’re hurting. So please, let me be the one to worry now._ ”

Wattson opened her eyes and finally made eye contact. Despite her saddened and injured state, her eyes were still the same vibrant blue that held all the universe’s hope in them. Just like they were before. Her bottom lip trembled as she took a deep shaky breath. “ _Okay, **mon amie**. I’ll let you be the one to worry._”

—

The two shared hundreds of ups and downs. They had been there for numerous smiles and laughs and there for multiple breakdowns and hospital trips. No matter how dark and cold the world got or how long and lonely the nights were, they’d be there for each other. When the going got tough, they always had each other’s backs. 

With how much they’ve been through together, no one knew each other like they did. If they didn’t know any better, they’d say that the other probably knew them better than they knew themselves. 

That wasn’t much of an understatement either.

—

“ _Hey._ ”

“ _Hey._ ”

“ _Mind if I join you?_ ”

“ _No, I don’t mind._ ”

Wraith watched out of the corner of her eyes as the familiar red and white high tops appeared next to her, then a pair of blue dungarees. She looked up, her eyes meeting Wattson’s. 

Wattson gave her a saddened smile. “ _Mirage told me that you seemed upset. Is this true, **ma chérie**?_”

Wraith looked back to her lap. He really didn’t know when to stay out of her business, did he? She took a bit of her scarf and rubbed it between her thumb and index finger. A sigh, “ _...yeah. But I’ll be fine for now, I just want to sort through everything on my own before I talk about it._ ”

They sat in the silence of tyres against asphalt and a gentle breeze in their ears. It wasn’t an uncomfortable or suffocating silence. No, it was a silence that said, “I’m here for you, even if you don’t want to talk about it.” The supportive silence that gives you a pat on the back and a kiss on the head.

“ _Would you like some hot chocolate?_ ” Wraith looked back over at Wattson, this time with a confused look on her face. Wattson, on the other hand, looked completely serious. “ _My papa and I made it all the time while I was growing up. When I was ill or upset. Around Christmas time. It never failed to cheer me up._ ”

Wraith laughed, “ _I think I’m good._ ”

“ _C’mon, Wraith, just give it a try. If you don’t like it, I’ll…_ ” Wattson scrunched her nose and furrowed her eyebrows. “ _I’ll…_ ”—she gasped—“ _I’ll bring you out to lunch on Friday! Then you can get whatever you want. Sounds like a good deal, no?_ ”

Wraith smiled and rolled her eyes. “ _You don’t have to do anything, sparks._ ”

“ _But—But—!_ ”

“ _If you want me to try your hot chocolate, then I guess I’ll try it._ ” Wraith interrupted. 

Wattson’s eyes lit up. “ _Really?_ ”

“ _Really._ ” Wraith said.

A ten million watt smile appeared on Wattson’s face as she clapped. “ _ **Magnifique**! I’ll be back with your hot chocolate._” She practically jumped to her feet, raced to the roof access door, and swung it open. Before she left though, she looked back at Wraith and gave her two thumbs up. Wraith returned the thumbs up with a smile. Then she was gone. 

Wraith returned to her thoughts. As she sorted through everything she was troubled with, she absentmindedly counted every yellow car that passed by. Eleven yellow cars—most of which were cabs—later, the roof access for squeaked open. 

“ _Here you go, one cup of freshly made hot chocolate! I even added extra whipped cream for you._ ” Wattson said as she sat back down. She handed Wraith one of the mugs she had.

It was a rather large mug, coloured baby blue with small yellow lighting bolts scattered about. The mug was very much like Wattson. And just like Wattson had told her, there was an expertly-made swirl of whipped cream that concealed the drink underneath on top.

“ _Thanks, Nat._ ”

“ _ **De rein**._”

Lifting the mug up to her lips, Wraith took a cautious sip.

“ _What do you think?_ ” Wattson asked.

Wraith blinked once, twice, three times at the cup. Were her taste buds deceiving her? “ _Wow, that’s… **amazing**._” She took another drink, this time much longer than the last one.

“ _Careful, **ma chérie** , you’re going to choke if you don’t take a breath._” Wattson laughed. “ _But I knew you would like it._ ”

When Wraith finally put the mug back down, almost half of the hot chocolate was gone. " _How did you ever so possibly know?_ "

Wattson shrugged. " _You appear dark and mysterious on the outside, but you seem like you secretly like sweet things._ "

She wasn't wrong about that—in more ways than just one. 

" _Thanks again, sparks._ "

" _Happy to help._ "

—

Wattson was able to piece Wraith together like a puzzle. She did so with little to no effort at all. Sometimes it worried Wraith. What if she figured something out about her that she didn't like and left her? What if Wattson no longer wanted to be her friend?

In a way, Wraith was right about one thing. But not in the way she expected.

—

There was no light inside the house except for the stove light in the kitchen and the moonlight that peeked through the shades. Rain gently tapped against the windows and walls outside, creating a soothing rhythm. Fingers gently ran through blonde hair and a thumb rubbed up and down a bare arm.

" _Wraith._ "

" _Wattson._ "

" _Would you ever dance with me?_ "

Wraith cracked an eye open, then the other. She looked down at Wattson. Her chin was resting on the hand over her chest as she looked up at her with hope in her eyes. " _You know I've never danced before._ "

" _I can teach you. My papa taught me how to dance. We'd dance all the time while I was growing up._ " Wattson said.

" _What if I step on your feet?_ " Wraith asked.

It was hard to see with the shadow that casted over her face, but Wraith was able to tell that Wattson pursed her lips to the side. " _That's okay. Everyone needs to make mistakes to learn, no?_ "

" _Right._ " Wraith inched her torso to her right and stared at the ceiling. Dancing with Wattson seemed like a dream come true. Getting to see her laugh and smile and have the time of her life. Wraith only hoped that she could do that for her. " _I suppose you can teach me one day._ "

" _Great!_ "—Wraith groaned as Wattson pushed down on her stomach—" _I can teach you right now!_ "

" _Nat, it's…_ " Wraith glanced over at the digital clock on the wall, " _three in the morning._ "

Wattson climbed off of Wraith and disappeared into the hallway. " _So? It's not like we were sleeping anyway!_ " Wraith ran her hands over her face. She had a point… 

Pulling herself up from where she laid on the couch, Wraith stretched her arms upward and arched her back. She let her arms fall into her lap as she slouched her back. Knowing Wattson, she was going to need to make some room so she wasn't going to be bumping into anything. Which meant she needed to move her coffee table somewhere. Probably the kitchen. Yeah, the kitchen seemed like a good place to put it. Just as Wraith got up to move her coffee table, Wattson reappeared with her portable speaker and her phone in hand. 

" _C'mon, **ma chérie**!_" Wattson said as she once again disappeared. This time, she went into the mudroom.

" _Wait, Nat, what're you doing?_ " Wraith asked. She followed Wattson and watched as Wattson put the speaker on the top step and powered it on. " _I thought you were teaching me to dance._ "

" _I am._ " Wattson said. She was scrolling through her songs, occasionally stopping before continuing to look again. 

" _Then… why are we outside?_ " Wraith asked.

With a soft 'aha,' Wattson pressed play on a song and put her phone down behind the speaker. She jumped to her feet. " _It's more fun when you dance in the rain!_ " Wattson ran out onto Wraith's driveway, stopped in the middle, spun around to face Wraith, then held her arms out. She smiled at her. " _Come join me, **ma chérie**._" She began to spin around.

" _Wattson, where are your shoes? And your jacket?_ " Wraith asked. Wattson didn't answer. " _Nat, you're going to catch a cold._ " Still no answer. Wraith sighed. If you can't beat them, join them.

Taking her socks off and putting them down on one of the shelves, Wraith put one foot outside. The concrete was cold and wet to the touch and raindrops fell onto her foot. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, though. If anything, it was soothing. Like a breath of fresh air. She fully stepped outside and closed the door behind herself. Wraith made her way down the driveway on her tiptoes—the feeling of wet concrete still a foreign feeling to her—and over to Wattson.

Wattson squealed when her hand accidentally smacked Wraith's arm, spinning around on her heels to face Wraith before coming to a complete stop. But with how much spinning she had done, her balance was off. 

" _Careful, you're going to fall._ " Wraith said. She wrapped an arm around Wattson's waist and held her against herself. 

Wattson laughed. " _Sorry about that, I didn't mean to hit you._ " Putting her hands on Wraith's shoulders, she steadied herself until she was able to stand without holding onto Wraith. That's when Wraith finally let go of Wattson. " _There's not much you need to know about dancing. Most dances just require you to be constantly moving your feet. Other than that, you just let your body move with the music._ "

" _Seems simple enough._ " 

" _See, I told you it's not hard._ "

" _You said there wasn't much to it, not that it wasn't hard._ "

" _ **Tellement spécifique**! I was teaching you to dance, not to be a smarty pants._" 

" _Well, maybe **I** was teaching **you** to choose your words wisely._" 

" _ **Une telle allumeuse tu es**. Now shush and follow my lead._" Wattson took Wraith's left hand and put it on her hip. Then she put her right hand on Wraith's shoulder. With Wraith's right hand and Wattson's left, she intertwined their fingers together and gave her a soft smile. " _Is this okay?_ "

Wraith's heart was _pounding_ against her ribs. " _Ye-yeah… this is okay._ " 

Wattson hummed in satisfaction as she took the first step. Wraith instinctively followed her, watching their feet and timing her steps with Wattson's. They spun in slow circles and moved in rhythmic steps.

_But I know better than to bring up the weather with you_  
_And talk about the rain_  
_After you fall asleep, I'll kiss both your eyes and cheeks_  
_I know we're not the same_

Wraith finally looked up. Pale blue eyes met electric blue eyes. They gazed into each other's eyes while maintaining their steady rhythm. It felt like magnetics were drawing her to her eyes and she wasn't able to look away. Such a mesmerising blue that held all the world's hope and pride and secrets. She hoped to one day uncover all those stories and soak up all the knowledge those eyes held behind them. To know what kept her up at night. What her biggest achievements and dreams were. What she was the most scared of. And what she needed the most in her life.

_You're an angel_  
_In disguise_  
_You're an angel_  
_In my eyes_

_I bought a house to live in_  
_Buy you're the home I'm missin'_  
_I know_

" _You're a better dancer than you made yourself out to be. I imagined that you'd be making me trip by now._ " Wattson said. 

Wraith shrugged. " _You make it seem easy, so I guess I picked it up naturally._ "

_Nothing good lasts forever_  
_But nights with you are better_  
_So go slow_

" _You know, Wraith, you're much nicer than people say you are._ "

" _And what makes you say that?_ " 

_I never knew I needed you_  
_Before I found you for the first time_

" _People say that you're mean and dangerous. Capable of killing an entire army with ease. And you never open up to people and have created a cold and hard exterior. But that's all it is: an exterior._ " 

_I'm out of step, I'm off my feet_  
_I'm waking up inside a dream_  
_Teach me how to fly_

" _I've watched how you've treated me and Mirage and Pathfinder compared to everyone else. You're tough on Mirage, but I know you mean well. And you're sweet to me and Pathfinder. What separates us from everyone else is that we're your friends. You just treat everyone else how you think they deserve to be treated._ " 

_You're an angel_

" _That's a very specific observation you made, sparks._ "

_In disguise_

" _Is it right, though?_ "

_You're an angel_

" _You're right, Mirage and Pathfinder **are** my friends._"

_In my eyes_

" _What about me? I think you forgot about me._ " 

Wraith looked back down at their feet. She was suddenly very aware of _everything_. How her vest clinged to her skin. How her hand was grasping the hem of Wattson's shirt like her life depended on it. How Wattson's hand felt like it was creeping up her neck. How close they were that they were practically pressed against each other. Wraith came to a complete stop.

" _Wraith…?_ " 

Looking back up, Wraith let go of Wattson's hand and put it on the other side of her hip. " _I think I want you to be more than just a friend._ " 

Wattson's eyes widened. She stared at Wraith, her mouth opening and closing without a sound to be made. Every single word that she had ever known suddenly flew out of the window. 

Maybe she should've broke the news to her in a much softer way than she just did. 

" _I…_ " Wattson took a shaky breath in, " _I think I'd like that._ " She rested her left hand on Wraith's other shoulder and leaned her forehead against Wraith's. 

They stood there, in the middle of Wraith's driveway, staring into each other's eyes. When one of them would try to move closer to the other, the other would pull back. It was like a game of tug-o-war to see who'd make the first move. They had gotten close once, their lips hovering mere millimetres over each other's. 

_You're an angel_  
_In my eyes_

Finally fed up with the toying, Wattson moved her hands up Wraith's neck and held her jaw in her hands. Their faces were inches apart, Wattson lazily staring into Wraith's eyes, waiting for her to meet her halfway. 

_You're an angel_  
_Are you mine, mine, mine…_

Wraith listened to her silent plea. She pulled Wattson in until their bodies were flesh with each other's, tilted her head to the right, closed her eyes, and closed the distance. Wattson took a deep breath in through her nose as she closed her eyes. Standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around Wraith's neck and sighed into the kiss. 

_Tonight?_  
_Tonight_  
_Tonight_  
_Tonight_

—

From that day forward, they were together. Not together as co-workers or teammates or friends. But together as one. They had already been attached by the hip before, but they quite literally didn't go anywhere without each other. Wherever one of them went, the other one was bound to be by their side the entire time. Life was _perfect_. 

But of course, all good things must come to an end.

Wraith sat in the aisle seat in the front row with her head hung low. Her right arm was in a black sling that covered the blue cast that was wrapped around her wrist all the way past her elbow. The sling perfectly matched the rest of her outfit, which was also all black. A black dress shirt, black tie, black waistcoat, black trousers, black dress shoes. Though, she had to ditch this blazer this time with her current circumstances. Lifeline had done her hair for her beforehand, putting it into one of Wattson's favourite hairstyles of hers: her usual small bun and curtain fringes with a section of her hair flowing freely down her back. 

She looked up from her feet and over to her right. At the end of the row sat Crypto. He sat straight and tall, his hands neatly folded in his lap and his eyes trained on the podium. As usual, his face was expressionless, but his nose was bright red and his eyes were bloodshot. In a way, him and Wraith were similar in that way. They didn't like showing emotion. Today was somewhat of an exception. 

Between them was a vacant seat. This one was preserved not for Caustic—his was also empty, but in the far back row where no one else sat—but for Wattson's father. Of course, he wasn't going to make it. He wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to. But at every panel Wattson spoke at and in their future plans, she always left a seat open for her father in the front row between Wraith and Crypto. She said that her father would be there in spirit, watching over her. Wraith honoured this tradition. 

"Hey." Wraith's head snapped to the left, looking up and seeing a pair of familiar brown eyes. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how much Wattson meant to you, so I got you a gift. I'll give it to you before I head home."

"Thanks, Mirage. I'll be sure to remember to stop by your car before we leave." Wraith said. Mirage nodded and sat down in the seat directly across from Wraith. 

That was another tradition Wraith honoured. After her and Wattson started dating, Wattson always made sure to leave three more empty seats open. Wattson always said that Wraith should be able to bring loved ones with her to her speeches, too. Wraith wasn't sure who Wattson had been talking about at first, but quickly learned after Wattson questioned her about them at her first speech after they got together.

"Hi, friend." 

"Hey, Path."

"You look sad."

"I am."

"Would you like a hug?"

"I think I'm good, Path." Wraith said, limply lifting her right arm up to show him her sling. "Thank you, though."

"You're welcome. I can give you one after the speech!" Pathfinder said. He gave Wraith a thumbs up before sitting down at the end of the other row. 

One last person approached Wraith. 

"Hey, mate, I know Wattson and I weren't close or anything, but you and I are pretty close and I know how much she meant to you. I'll tell you what, if you ever get lonely, you can stop my shop and we can hang out or whatever. Just the two of us. What'cha say, Blasey?"

Wraith scoffed. "I'll hold you to that, Parekh."

The piano music came to an abrupt stop and was replaced by the sound of a microphone being tapped. Rampart scrambled to her seat between Pathfinder and Mirage as the person at the microphone cleared their throat. 

Wraith watched as the speaker—Loba—looked behind herself and at Bangalore, who was standing off to the side. Bangalore gave her a nod, then Loba looked down at the papers on the podium. 

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for gathering here to honour the passing of Natalie Paquette. Most of you know her by Wattson, but some of you also know her as Nat." Loba paused and looked around before continuing to speak. "Natalie was a kind and caring woman. She warmed the hearts of thousands with her smiles, friendly banter, and optimistic outlook on life. Her inventions and engineering inspired hundreds and her passion for the Apex Games inspired even more. She honoured her fellow Legends with pride and never left a soul behind. She was an honourable woman while she was alive and will continue to be for years to come as her legacy is carried on through history.

"Before her passing, she had made friends with many, but family with a select few. Her family is not by blood, but by choice. She has been through thick and thin with her family and would do anything for them. Those of you here today are those she considered family."—a sniffle—"Excuse me. Everyone here has touched Natalie's heart in some way or form. Some of you may not know that she did while others may have already known. Regardless, she spoke of all of you highly and held an immeasurable amount of love for every single one of you."

She flipped the page. "It is unfortunate that we lost such a bright soul. Natalie was truly taken away from us too early. But hopefully, she'll be able to rest easily and be reunited with her father, Luc Paquette, once more."—Loba looked at Wraith—"Would anyone like to come up and say a few words?"

Wraith looked at her feet. 

The only other occupied chair in Wraith's row squeaked as Crypto stood up. Loba stepped aside and joined Bangalore's side as Crypto stepped up to the podium. 

"When I first met Natalie, I was very closed off and secretive. I couldn't trust _anyone_ and had to constantly be on the run. I didn't know what a home was for a long time and was used to not knowing. But then Natalie gave me a chance—and another chance after that—to open up to her. After I did, I learned that I didn't need to constantly run or hide. I was allowed to be myself around her without fear. She showed me what a family was once again. And I'm sorry that I couldn't thank her while she was still with us. I think I can speak for more than just myself when I say that Natalie meant the world to me." Crypto said. There were a few claps as Crypto bowed and sat back down, tucking his paper away inside his blazer. 

Loba stepped back up to the podium. "Would anyone else like to speak?"

Silence. 

Wraith shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't _want_ to speak. If she spoke, she was bound to end up crying and she didn't need to be doing that right now. She had to be strong. But it wasn't right to _not_ speak either. If this was her own funeral, Wattson would have spoken without a second guess. Even if it broke her heart. 

Digging the folded piece of paper in her pocket out, Wraith finally stood up from her seat and made her way to the podium. Loba stepped aside, but not without whispering to her first. "It's okay to cry, we're not here to judge." Then she joined Bangalore's side once again.

Wraith unfolded her paper, laid it out on top of the podium, and pulled the microphone closer to her mouth. "About seven years ago, Wattson and I had met. She had just joined the Apex Games and was quick to make a name of herself. During her welcoming party, instead of mingling with everyone else, she came over to my corner of the room where I was hiding and tried talking to me. At the time, I was confused as to why she was talking to me but thought nothing of it. She asked me about the book I was reading, _A Time Traveller's Guide to Life_ , and she asked me what I'd do if I had to choose between staying in a year I didn't exist in to live with the love of my life and risk not existing in the future or return to my year and never see them again. I told her I'd probably stay and she agreed with me.

"From the day forward, she was the _only_ person that made the effort to visit me every single day."—Wraith let out a sigh as she tried holding back her tears—"Almost no day went by without her running up to me, texting or calling me, or playing Sherlock to find out where I was. If she couldn't find me one day, she'd try even harder the next day and whine to me that we didn't hang out the day before. Never before have I met anyone as determined as she was—especially to befriend someone like me."

Wraith took a moment to rub the side of her face and take a few deep breaths. She couldn't cry, not right now. Blinking a few times, she continued with her speech. "Fast forward three years, she comes to spend the night at my house. She had been overwhelmed by meeting after meeting that day and needed somewhere that was clean and quiet. So she came over to my house. She asked me if I'd ever dance with her and I told her I would, so she dragged me outside in the pouring rain at three in the morning and we slow danced together. I had never danced before, but she taught me how to. That's when I asked her out. After that night though, we did end up getting sick and having to take a few days off." She laughed to herself.

"It was barely a year ago that I proposed to her. I was supposed to propose to her on our fourth anniversary, but she looked so happy as we made lunch together."—she let out a choked sob—"She was dancing and singing and I couldn't help but ask her, and she said yes. We would stay up late most nights and talk about how we wanted our wedding to be. Nothing prepared us though for her being taken away so soon." Wraith nearly collapsed to her knees, her arms covering her face as she cried. Bangalore was quick to react, though. She caught Wraith just in time to pull her back to her feet and to the side. 

"Thank you, Wraith, for your words. I'm afraid that's that's all the time we had. Thank you again for everyone coming and we hope you have a good night."

—

It had been three hours since the funeral was over. All the chairs, tables, and decorations had been packed up. Everyone had gone back home—Mirage dropping Wraith's gift off to Crypto before he left—while Crypto and Wraith stayed behind. They were the only two that were allowed to watch the burial of Wattson's casket. It was another honoured tradition. When Wattson's father had passed away, Wattson was the only one allowed to stay for the burial. Wattson didn't have any children that could attend, of course, but she _did_ have a fiancée. Wraith decided that Crypto was important and close enough for Wattson to consider him a brother to her, so he was allowed to stay, too. 

Now the burial was over and Wraith was left sitting in front of a large rectangular dirt patch and a tombstone at the other end. 

_Somebody's watching you._

"Crypto." Wraith mumbled. 

"Wraith." Crypto said from behind Wraith. 

Two black shoes came into view out of the corner of Wraith's eye before they were replaced by a knee. They sat in the silence of leaves gently rustling in the breeze and the occasional car driving by. 

Crypto sighed. "I'm aware that… we never got to… _actually_ get to know each other."

"That's obvious." Wraith butted in.

" _But_ ," Crypto started, "I know Natalie meant as much to you as she did to me— _ama deo_. I know what it's like to experience a loss like this. Just… know that you're not alone. _Ulineun seoloui deung-eul gajyeoyahabnida_."

"Thanks." Wraith said.

"Don't mention it." Crypto said. He placed a dark purple gift bag in front of Wraith and stood back up. "Elliott wanted me to give that to you. He said it was important. There's also something from Natalie in there that she wanted me to give you just in case she ever couldn't make it back home. _Josimhae_." Without another word said, Crypto put his hands in his pockets and walked away. 

Once she was sure that she was alone, Wraith looked up from the grass and opened the bag. She stared at the contents in the bag for a long while. Then she weakly smiled. 

Climbing to her feet, she walked around the dirt patch and over to the tombstone with the bag in hand. Wraith patted the top of the tombstone. "I'll see you again, sparks."


	2. the report

_**Thirty-Nine-Year-Old Apex Games Competitor Found Dead in Car Crash** _  
_By Denis Clementine_  
_Published on 18 November 2740, 13:37_

Late at night on 16 November around 8:30 PM, thirty-nine-year-old Renee Blasey—more popularly known as Wraith in the Apex Games—was found dead in her car last night. Police say that she had gotten into a car crash at approximately 7:55 PM. 

Earlier that day, Blasey had attended the funeral of her late fiancée Natalie Paquette—more popularly known as Wattson, also in the Apex Games. Paquette had passed away after suffering from a violent Prowler attack while working on an undisclosed project three weeks before the funeral. Blasey had been on the trip with Paquette and was the one to recover her body. She only suffered a dislocated shoulder, dislocated elbow, broken wrist, several broken pieces in her right forearm, and several deep Prowler scratches on her back. 

Police suspect that Blasey was returning home after Paquette's funeral in the midst of a terrible rain storm when she had gotten into the car crash. They believe that the rain caused for there to be minimal sight, resulting in dangerous driving conditions. It was confirmed that she had crashed into the front of the car of a drunk nineteen-year-old on Evergreen Road. The identity of the driver is yet to be released. 

When Blasey's body was further inspected, they found that Blasey suffered from a snapped neck and suffocation caused by her seat belt getting stuck around her neck. There were also multiple pieces of glass stuck in her skin. 

The police searched Blasey's car and found no signs of any drugs or alcohol. But in the passenger seat, there was a gift bag. Inside the bag was a card addressed to Blasey from fellow Apex Games competitor Elliott Witt—more popularly known as Mirage—a photo album with pictures of Blasey and Paquette, a "Number 1 Best Friend" award, and a stuffed teddy bear with a small version of Paquette's signature jacket and a sticky note addressed from Crypto. 

Witt posted on his social media platforms earlier today that he will be the one to plan Blasey's funeral and is planning on burying her next to Paquette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i always read stories where it's Wraith dying and Wattson having to cope with her death. they're great and all, don't get me wrong. i wanted to cry every time. :,) but i wanted a story where it was Wraith the was coping. it also gave me an excuse to pracitse writing angst and do a character study.
> 
> this has been the most depressing story that i've done so far because i didn't give them a happy ending like i always do. i like to pretend that i'm known for my fluff, but i wanted to try something new. so i killed both of them...
> 
> i'll see y'all in my next work!
> 
> Tumblr: @curiouswraith  
> Twitter: @curuouswraith

**Author's Note:**

> French translations:  
> "magnifique" = "magnificent"  
> "ma chérie" = "my darling" (feminine)  
> "tellement spécifique" = "so specific"  
> "une telle allumeuse tu es" = "such a tease you are"
> 
> Korean translations:  
> "ama deo" (아마 더) = "much more"  
> "ulineum seoloui deung-eul gajyeoyahabnida" (우리는 서로의 등을 가져야합니다) = "we must have each other's backs"  
> "josimhae" (조심해) = "be careful" (supposed to be "take care")
> 
> other notes:  
> vest = a tank top
> 
> song used:  
> Angel by Finneas
> 
> (NOTE: more notes in next chapter.)
> 
> Tumblr: @curiouswraith  
> Twitter: @curiouswraith


End file.
